Cousins Look Out For One Another
by AHeartForStories
Summary: Hiccup had no idea what he was doing. He had a pretty good idea of how the human heart worked, but to get it working again after it stopped meant taking a leap into the unknown. For his cousin, he was willing to take a risk. SNOTLOUT WHUMP. Written for Bad Things Happen Bingo over on Tumblr.


Written for the "CPR" prompt for Bad Things Happen Bingo over on Tumblr. This one has been in the works for a long time now.

Constructive criticism is appreciated!

Enjoy!

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**Cousins Look Out For One Another**

Hiccup didn't know what he was doing. Not if it was helpful in any way, if he was doing more harm than good, or if there was even the slightest chance that there was still a way to save Snotlout, but he was doing it anyway.

His cousin was lying before him on the banks of a thawing river. He was pale, still, and he wasn't breathing. Hiccup was doing everything he could think of to bring him back.

They'd been on a camping trip, just the two of them and their dragons. An "adventure of bonding between two men" he had called it. According to Snotlout, they were in desperate need of one.

They were crossing a river far outside of the village. By foot, they were at least an hour or so away. They walked as they searched for a suitable camping site as was Snotlout's wish, much to Hookfang's annoyance. Why walk when you can fly?

None of them knew that it was already thawing, that the temperatures of the past few days had been too warm for it to stay frozen. And in the seconds it should've taken them to cross, the ice gave away beneath Snotlout and he ended up falling through.

Panic broke out in an instant. One moment Hiccup had been laughing weakly at Snotlout's snark about how he needed to inch forward if he didn't want to fall on his rear and the next he was just gone.

Hookfang let out a shriek of terror and immediately lunged at the hole. Hiccup's first instinct was to dive down into the water and try to pull Snotlout out himself, but Toothless kept him from going under, fully aware of Hiccup's terrible history with water.

"Toothless?!" With the frozen surface layer melting, the river's current was as strong as ever. Even if Hiccup managed to take a dive, Snotlout had already been dragged away by the water. The Night Fury kept a tight grip on his arm with his gums.

It was Hookfang who saved him. Taking off into the sky in a hurry, kicking up snow all around him, a bird's eye-view helped him spot his Rider in the water and it was easy to break through the surface to reach him and pull him out.

There was no time for relief even as Snotlout was pulled out of the river. Hiccup knew something was wrong when he saw his cousin and friend was limp in Hookfang's hold.

Jumping up to his feet, Hiccup came running, almost slipping in the snow. Hookfang gently placed his Rider down on the banks for the lead Rider to take a look at. He knew he could trust Hiccup. He could trust him with anything.

Hookfang was restless, whimpering and whining as he nudged Snotlout's cold face.

Hiccup dropped down to his knees next to Snotlout. With his heart pounding in his chest, Hiccup saw how pale he was, how motionless, and it terrified him.

"Snotlout." He tried calling his name. He cupped his cheeks with his hands and felt how cold Snotlout was. His lips were turning blue.

"Snotlout?"

With his hand, Hiccup checked for breathing and there was none.

Then he opened up his winter cloak and pressed an ear to his chest to listen for a heartbeat and there was none. Hiccup couldn't help but let out a sound of distress.

In those few minutes in the water, his heart had stopped beating.

Hiccup froze as he stared down at Snotlout. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt sick, like he was about to throw up. His hands trembled and it wasn't entirely because of the chill of Winter. He felt cold inside.

His cousin was dead.

Snotlout. Family. A best friend. A fellow Dragon Rider that has been by his side through good and bad.

He was dead.

His tears and sobs left him before he could stop them. His hands took Snotlout's cheeks again.

Hookfang nudged Hiccup with his snout to tell him to hurry up, to do something, but Hiccup wasn't so sure there was anything more he could do. Snotlout's heart had stopped.

"I know, Hookfang. I know!" He sobbed. The Nightmare was desperate to see his Rider saved.

"There's nothing I can-"

Hiccup stopped himself.

The faint spark of an idea ignited in his mind. His gaze went from Hookfang, to Snotlout's face, and then his chest.

His heart, what if Hiccup made it beat?

The weak beginnings of a plan were forming, if he could even call them that. Pulling Snotlout's furred coat wider apart and straightening out, Hiccup hesitantly placed a hand of his in the middle of his chest, a little bit to the left. He wasn't a healer in any way, shape or form, but he knew that was where the human heart resided.

He paused, unsure of what he should do. He should push, right? If he wanted to reach it? But how deep should he push? Hiccup had no idea, but he figured he was about to find out.

"I'm not giving up on you." Hiccup told Snotlout, hoping he wasn't too late yet. With his tears freezing on his face, he began pushing down on his chest with all his might.

He let go once he thought he'd gone deep enough before pushing back down again. It was difficult and awkward, it took a lot more out of him than he realized it would. He felt his shoulder already cramping up after twelve or thirteen times. Sweat quickly gathered on his brow the longer he repeated this motion.

Something didn't feel quite right. Hiccup didn't feel like he was pushing deep enough. The choice to use both hands was quickly made and this felt more right.

It took some doing, he needed to reposition them more than once, but eventually, he found something that seemed to work.

Hookfang and Toothless watched from the sidelines. Hookfang was still distraught, crooning and moaning in worry, but Toothless put his faith in Hiccup. He believed in his clever Rider.

"Come on, Lout. Come on! You can't do this to me." Hiccup begged him as he kept up the pace. He tried to use his own heartbeat as an example, using all his strength. His arms and shoulders were cramping up, but he couldn't let up.

He was counting every push in his head, but he lost count. Which one was he at now? He couldn't remember.

And then, just as Hiccup worried that all of this was in vain, Snotlout sputtered back to life and began to cough up all the water inside his lungs.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup was quick to pull him onto his side and let him get it out to keep him from choking on it again. He patted his back to help him remove it all. Hookfang roared loudly in joy upon seeing his Rider alive again and Toothless gave Hiccup a soft headbutt as he kept Snotlout in place. He gave his dragon a weak smile.

"It's okay, Snotlout. You're okay! You're okay." Hiccup told him and let his forehead rest on his arm until he calmed down again.

He waited until Snotlout stopped coughing before turning him onto his back.

"Hey, Lout, how're you feeling?" Hiccup asked, his hands on the other's cheeks.

"I'd be a lot better if I knew why my ribs ached so much." Snotlout muttered, but it was loud enough for Hiccup to hear. His chest hurt, he felt every breath he took. He shivered, too. He didn't have a clue to what was going on, but he was sopping wet and cold. His helmet was missing too, he noticed.

Upon hearing Snotlout's retort, Hiccup let out a laugh out of pure relief.

"Oh, thank you." He thanked whoever allowed him to bring his cousin back and he bent over to press their foreheads together, a hand of his on the back of Snotlout's neck while the other remained on his cheek.

Snotlout's eyes were too heavy to open and he didn't need them to to know that Hiccup was starting to cry, completely overwhelmed by emotion. He could feel the other's tears falling on his face.

"Are you crying, muttonhead? You're too sensitive." He slurred softly.

Hiccup gasped out a laugh, smiling from ear to ear.

"You think anyone knows?"

"Pssh." That was his only response and Hiccup didn't need anything else.

Snotlout was going to be okay and that was all Hiccup needed to know.

Coming down from this high his joy of seeing Snotlout survive had given him, Hookfang purred as he lowered himself down next to the two humans. With his snout, he gave Snotlout a loving nudge. Snot's hand went up to scratch the Nightmare's chin.

Toothless joined them, curled up around the two while Hookfang did the same. Snotlout needed to be taken back to the village as soon as possible, but they figured they could afford to have at least this one moment of relief before they needed to think of more pressing matters.


End file.
